In this shaggy tale of self-discovery, Jay Eddy reflects on their journey to adulthood and place in American society today. They bring their story to life with strong storytelling skills and a mostly excellent electro-pop soundtrack of original material, and while it is easy to be swept along with Eddy’s passionate words and songs, an emotional build is lacking, with a climax that feels slightly unearned. The staging is simple, as Eddy has slimmed down the full band to just them with a guitar and some backing tracks. They easily hold their own onstage and never seem overwhelmed by the large venue or lengthy runtime of 105 minutes. 

Eddy’s delivery is energetic and keeps things moving, sometimes pulling us into their anxious state but rarely giving us an insight into their feelings on any given subject. We get very little idea of the characters in their life beyond brief snapshots, and while we’re told this is a love story, the romance between Eddy and their partner is not established. Given the show’s name, perhaps the meandering nature of the story and lack of clear catharsis is the point. Still, given Eddy’s strong performance and wonderful songcraft, it would be nice if this journey took us somewhere. 

Driving In Circles, Gilded Balloon Appleton Tower, until 24 August, 1.30pm; main picture: Sam Plattus.